[SOCIO STRUCTURAL FACTORS AND HIV/AIDS STIGMA: EXPERIENCES FROM PUERTO RICANS LIVING WITH HIV/AIDS ACCESING HEALTH SERVICES.]

HIV/AIDS stigma continues affecting the provision of health services to people living with HIV/AIDS, as well as their physical and mental well-being. Scientific literature has highlighted the importance of understanding stigma manifestations that surpass one-on-one social interactions. For that reason, social research in Puerto Rico and elsewhere has highlighted the importance of understanding the Socio-Structural Factors (SSF) that foster HIV/AIDS stigma. With the objective of exploring the SSF that influence stigma manifestations related to HIV/AIDS, we conducted 9 focus groups composed by women and men on HIV/AIDS treatment that had experienced social stigma related to the disease. Participants identified SSF that they understood were related to stigma such as a) development of housing projects for people with HIV/AIDS, b) decentralization of health related services, and c) health services administrative protocols that fostered exclusion. Results evidence the importance of addressing SSF when developing stigma related interventions for this population.